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Keywords:
hymn for peace and healing (1)
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Description:
i have been a long time between posts, and i have not done anything quite like this before...this is just a sound painting.
all helicopters, machine guns, rockets, bombs and explosions are played on the 2 PRS guitars, ruby and sapphire.
I used the playable keyboard function to creat the simple chord bed, which was fun...
i was watching you tube video of an apache helicopter shooting a few insurgents....and trying to imagine being either the gunned down or the gunner...and a can't imagine myself in that place.
I dedicate this piece to all those who have suffered and died in this war.
Hardware:
prs guitars, ibanez acoustic LINE6 amp
Software:
gb
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Very effective... &mdash 10/02/07 - 12:28:45 AM
This piece seemed very effective to me.
The effects and the beautiful guitar sound, along with the chord bed.
Excellent.
Paul. [ Reply to This ]
from a master &mdash 10/03/07 - 10:57:19 AM
of this sort of composition, this is a high compliment. Thank you so much! [ Reply to This ]
Oh yeah &mdash 10/02/07 - 01:05:53 AM
Magnificent sound bed. Really an eyeopener for what sounds and effects is possible to get out of the guitar... if you have the skills to perform it that is;) Which you certainly show to the full that you have:)
Not only did you impress me with your technical skills, but you have made a very beautiful piece of music here ziti. You made my thoughts go to the ones that suffers in war zones.
I bet Hendrix would have enjoyed this one:)
Brilliant!
Peace and love
[ Reply to This ]
10's &mdash 10/02/07 - 01:08:00 AM
OK, I'm the one with the post about stopping with the 10's. Well you deserve them. I gave you an all 10's vote on this, because you're worth it:)
---
Imagination is more important then knowledge!
- Albert Einstein. [ Reply to This ]
thank you &mdash 10/02/07 - 12:44:42 PM
Nice painting &mdash 10/02/07 - 06:33:29 AM
I really dig your guitar who speaks to me.... This is like a "Salvador dali" painting done with a guitar..... Kudos my friend.
Take care
---
Kenta [ Reply to This ]
10's .. Thanks ! &mdash 10/02/07 - 06:56:36 AM
WOW ! Mr. Fran, this is a very very very effective music, brought tears to my eyes ! The guitar sound here killer and i understand its sounds in the background like child crying .. Special thanks from my heart for this post !
Deepest bows
Take Care
==============
Yeman Auf Al-Rawi [ Reply to This ]
thanks yemen &mdash 10/02/07 - 11:59:34 AM
actually yemen, there was a post of yours a while back that kind of started this piece on it's way...a piece where you used the classic descending chord structure i use on this...i was thinking how easily those three basic chords...A minor, G major, F major...can switch back and forth from rock to spanish flavored music...and off i went...those three chords have a powerful sadness to them.
I hope we can find peace in your part of the world very soon. It is scary to see ancient tribal hatred mix with religious fanatacism and imperialistic greed. There are so many people behaving badly...we can only pray for enlightenment from something, or someone, to lead us out of this horrible mess.
thanks for the kind words yeman [ Reply to This ]
Can you do anything? &mdash 10/02/07 - 06:57:25 AM
Seems like you can do almost anything with a guitar Fran!
I am truely impressed! Again.
I wish every man in this world was as sensitive as you (and me and many other musicians, artists and whatever) .. then there would be no war .. absolutely none .. imagine zero war .. no shooting or stabbing whatsoever .. anywhere ..
[ Reply to This ]
Amen ! &mdash 10/02/07 - 07:16:44 AM
I heard pain ,I heard reality, and there
I senced the prayer .
Amen to all !!
[ Reply to This ]
Hard to listen to... &mdash 10/02/07 - 07:55:19 AM
...without a tear welling up. Not for the faint-hearted! Beautiful, haunting, atmospheric. Well done. [ Reply to This ]
screams of regret &mdash 10/02/07 - 10:44:56 AM
You really pull off the initial cacophony of chaos, slowly giving way to rubble and dust, and the lingering taste of steel and regret. Amazing job of folding in layers of guitar-based sound effects of war, placing them along the path from the explosive beginnings through the streets of anxious fear and despair, and marching on with a faint beautiful melody of hope, only to have the nightmare return at the end. I completely echo your sentiments, and do a little every day to bring peace to this world as well. Daring and heartfelt piece, Fran.
ttfn,
Drakonis [ Reply to This ]
i havent recorded &mdash 10/02/07 - 11:00:16 AM
any sort of production number in so long. I have been so absorbed with learning to play and record the acoustic, as well as recording the band...and I really didnt mean to do this one now. I really was just messing around...but being in the prolonged funk i have been in...i just kept plugging away on this as it took shape in my head...
I think the war is the greatest single mistake ever made by my country. But I did not make this piece as a statement about the politics of this, just the human pain. Just the pain on both sides...you see with your eyes the effects large calibre weaponry can do to the human body...but what does pulling the trigger do to the human mind and soul? How can you watch someones body explode before you, as a result of your actions, and not be effected by this for life. Pain...useless destruction.
The sound effects are all actually played on the guitar...the helicopter is a fretted, muted staccato picked B note....the machine gun is the side of the pick, rubbed on the E string up by the bridge, using the bridge pickup. I used the wammy bar and a highly rectified amp setting for the bombs and rockets...funny thing...after the bombs take, and after just TORTURING my poor guitar to get those noises out, the damn thing was still in tune.
PRS rules!!!
thanks for the listen and comments Drak!
z [ Reply to This ]
heartfelt &mdash 10/02/07 - 11:29:09 AM
this is a very evocative piece of music. i usually try to listen to macjams tunes at least once before reading the artists description, so that i might form my own opinion first, and then read what they might have to say about their work. i did that here, and damn, i certainly did not have any trouble feeling what is being conveyed by your work of art. it's absolutely astounding how you can tell a story without having to use words. the helicopter and explosion effects are unmistakable, as are the certain emotions expressed through the music.
best,
-=ez [ Reply to This ]
thank you &mdash 10/02/07 - 11:43:24 AM
yes...i was hesitant to post it, because when it was finished and I knew it was finished, I couldnt hear it anymore.
but listening to it today, and reading some of the reactions, I am glad that i did post it. I dont know if anyone else is like me, but this war hangs in the back of my mind all the time. The same as when you wake up and remember something bad had happened but you cant remember what it is...
it does seem endless and hopeless...and it is very very sad. [ Reply to This ]
Breathtaking &mdash 10/02/07 - 12:16:07 PM
The imagery of this track is amazing.
So epic and heartfelt.
Really powerful stuff.
-Einar S. [ Reply to This ]
I'd say that this is great... &mdash 10/02/07 - 01:36:09 PM
...except that it's actually terrifying. Art can take so many directions and this piece is pretty obvious in it's intent.
The pure terror of the 'coptors and guns/missiles...the vulnerability of the land in which it takes place (or, rather, the land in which any war takes place. Although they're the most directly involved, soldiers are not the only ones affected by war)...the sparsity of the desert landscape, painted by the acoustic guitar...
It all just paints a picture that's always in the back of my mind, too. Some kind of piece of art, z...kudos... [ Reply to This ]
Hey Fran &mdash 10/02/07 - 03:14:12 PM
this is one of the very best I've heard in this genre... there are definately different critera for soundtrack work... you made me experience and enter into those moments of what must be abject horror and confusion... I really love what you've created when the dust 1st settles... those moments captured, seem to be wandering & shellshocked...
this is a bold and daring departture for you... and very impressive [ Reply to This ]
Talk about ... &mdash 10/02/07 - 07:06:27 PM
.... getting taken for a rough (but beautiful) ride!
Excellent stuff Fran!
Peace,
Neil [ Reply to This ]
heavy duty &mdash 10/02/07 - 08:49:40 PM
wow, what a trip. You really stretched out on this one. At first it was jarring and I think that just set me up perfectly for what followed. Stunning fret work, but its the ambient fill thats equal to the match.
I wanna say to you, don't watch anything more on the war, but then again, to hear this. I wish it could cancel out the bad vibes. very emotive [ Reply to This ]
This is great stuff &mdash 10/02/07 - 09:37:20 PM
You are really connected to that guitar-I can feel your pain in the music.Just excellent playing...some of those bends just floored me. [ Reply to This ]
It amazes me... &mdash 10/03/07 - 12:12:02 AM
...how well you seem to understand the story of your composition. You take the collective terror and compassion and longing and loneliness and every other emotion associated with war and do this incredible mix of orchestration (and superior guitar playing) and fashion something that is absolutely unique. I have no idea how anyone can THINK of all of this and keep it straight. It is really amazing. All 10s here. I have never heard anything like this done with such care.
Peace...to us all.
Paul [ Reply to This ]
thanks Paul F &mdash 10/05/07 - 07:43:01 PM
I think you know how much i respect you. That you take any of the simple music I make seriously, is delightful to me. Thanks for the thoughtful comments!
[ Reply to This ]
Expressive, haunting &mdash 10/03/07 - 07:36:13 AM
too true and too sad. I hear your heart in every note. Thanks for posting. [ Reply to This ]
pensive &mdash 10/03/07 - 09:10:50 PM
Yes &mdash 10/03/07 - 10:11:39 PM
This war hangs in the back of my mind all the time too. This is actually really effective and sad and interesting. Cool to hear something so radically different from you. [ Reply to This ]
Straight... &mdash 10/04/07 - 10:35:26 PM
like a surreal dream &mdash 10/04/07 - 11:29:38 PM
blend of beautiful plaintive tones and jarring metal sounds (world percussion and artillery) - cool fusion of free form rock, jazz, new age, and cinematic. [ Reply to This ]
Fran-tastic &mdash 10/05/07 - 11:39:25 AM
Musically, what I find interesting about this extended piece, is the way you have taken a standard format - the blues jam - and twisted it into something new and different. One still gets the feeling you are jamming - improvising - but an apparent blues structure that would normally hold this together has been stripped away (or, at least, pushed far into the background).
This exploding of the blues structure underlines the theme of your piece by metaphorincally suggesting the impact war has on a culture: as social norms disappear in the tumult of war we are left with chaos and raw emotion.
The image that keeps popping into my mind when I listen is those early cubist paintings by Picasso and Braque that shattered the picture plane (although I don't know if this cross-reference to cubism is apropos - I really haven't thought this through). There are realistic parts (helecopters, gunfire) mixed into a whirl of abstractions. What I hear is a tangle of painful emotions powerfully articulating the anger and anguish over the mindless daily slaughter, and the frustration at being unable to change the course of the stupidity.
It's a fantastic concept piece (I almost slipped and said "Frantastic") that engages the listener both intellectually and emotional on a timely topic. [ Reply to This ]
wow...I love when you comment warren &mdash 10/05/07 - 07:54:54 PM
You make my efforts sound so ...deep....heheheh...seriously, you hit the nail on the head...i did want the chaos to totally disrupt all the order and beauty and simplicity of a peaceful life....the basis is fluid, always changing, but always full of terror, and the unknown...
the only nit i have with your critique is that this is not based on a standard 1-4-5 12 bar structure at all, but a very generic 3 chord sequence of Am-G-F...which can be permutated by the slightest rythmic changes to go from rock to spanish sounds...it is the same three chords that form the sad part of the Allman Brothers live Whipping post....and i think this sequece appears at least 3 times on every Santana album...
I truly appreciate the thoughtful and thought provoking comments as always, Warren!
best
z [ Reply to This ]
Thinking things through &mdash 10/08/07 - 08:26:28 AM
Oops ... I guess my structural anaylsis needed more thought, too : > [ Reply to This ]
now &mdash 10/05/07 - 02:59:43 PM
thats what i'm talking about....creativity unleashed......sigh.....hehhehhe.....12,000 bows.... [ Reply to This ]
thanks &mdash 10/05/07 - 09:29:45 PM
Iraq &mdash 10/05/07 - 10:36:03 PM
Ziti,
I recognize your intent and I appreciate your playfulness with the guitar sounds. When you switch over to acoustic guitar, everything clicks together, and I just love the romantic atmosphere, but I felt that the opening was too messy. I couldn't distinguish between the rockets and the bombs, it just felt like a puddle of electric guitar. I did find the rest of the piece quite beautiful. In fact, it left me feeling very melancholy. The opening is the only part I want to criticize, the rest of the piece deserves only compliments.
Joel
[ Reply to This ]
interesting comments &mdash 10/06/07 - 01:03:54 PM
i suppose the difference between the rockets and bombs would be difficult to distinguish....i also tryed to add humans screaming into that mix....i did actually play all those sound effects in one take, there were no overdubs...until the helicopters and machine guns come in, it is a single take. I think my intent was to imagine what the whole thing must actually sound like, if you happen to be somewhere that is in the middle of an aerial assault. It must be a horrible sound. Maybe I am different from other people, but when I am very frightened or very angry, I hear a sound...an ugly almost painful sound that comes from my brain and not my ears....i think that is the sound i was trying for, the combination of all the outer war noises and the inner scream of horror.
It was not a fun experience to play the guitar that way. Playing an instrument and trying to express total horror is really depressing. But it is, I found, a great emotional release, because perhaps these sounds were feelings I had been holding in for a very long time....but I did totally misuse and abuse my most beloved guitar to create those noises....there are no speakers involved here, so none of that noise was feedback, but more open strings allowed to ring out, highly compressed and drenched in gain.
I truly appreciate the time you spent listening to this and writing the thoughtful critique.
Thanks!!
best
z [ Reply to This ]
Iraq &mdash 10/06/07 - 04:01:22 PM
I was simply remembering to keep constructive with my comments.
Thanks for the elaboration on your process Ziti, I feel like I understand your intent better now. I can see that you are definitely tapping into your creativity with this piece, and there's plenty of room to hear your interpretations of the war transmitted through music. This was quite the undertaking. [ Reply to This ]
Very Nice_____ &mdash 10/05/07 - 10:37:20 PM
Great piece of work. Awesome guitars - everything. I enjoyed this one very much.
Thanks for sharing,
mvh : ) [ Reply to This ]
Bravo &mdash 10/06/07 - 12:12:41 PM
Very pleased for you &mdash 10/06/07 - 11:10:21 PM
This is quite an accomplishment, Brother Fran. You have much to be proud of here. What you set out to do, you did masterfully.
Congratulations. [ Reply to This ]
Interesting interpretation &mdash 10/07/07 - 01:04:20 PM
of the internal and external horrors of war.
Lovely guitar tone --- and playing. Reminds me a bit of Carlos... with a brief assist from Jimi ;)
--- Joe [ Reply to This ]
incredible &mdash 10/07/07 - 06:18:31 PM
how you had the imagination to put the artillery mix and then enter the blues. Really does fit quite right, the moaning of that ziti blues electric is very striking indeed!
This is a real Ziti soul tune! for sure.
I think I hear a bit of Jimi H. in there. The influence of the Hendrix bombs seem to haunt most guitarist and I think you must of thought of him as well. Especially when you do those dive bombs. Incredible imagery Z in the end. @@WOW@@!!! Sadly something like this has to be played to pay homage to the lost. Way to go Z ! Well done indeed! [ Reply to This ]
Wow &mdash 10/07/07 - 11:19:03 PM
So much of what I love is here. I here Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd.
Very well done.
Frank. [ Reply to This ]
well &mdash 10/08/07 - 07:43:39 AM
a very powerful piece this one is. images and textures are amazing. great guitar work! [ Reply to This ]
Sound effects are one thing... &mdash 10/08/07 - 09:27:14 PM
...and, sure, they've been 'done'...But what really undid me on this one were some of the very human and very wrenching near-vocal cries you pulled out on this one... And yeah, a lot of blues guitarists are compared to crying human beings, only on this one you've got some cries that sound more human than human...
I'll put this comment in tandem with Warren's: it's Guernica in musical form, fractal shards of sliced war...
You'll forgive me if it's not what I put on to fall asleep or calm my mind... This is music where, you have to be listening to it or you might as well leave it alone...
Ed [ Reply to This ]
the picasso painting &mdash 10/09/07 - 06:27:50 PM
would be an excellent representation of this!...i wish i'd thought of that for the art instead of the reflective artiste one....
thanks for the comment ed....i really tortured poor sapphire for the sounds...and it's not as easy as standing in front of a speaker cabinet, then controlling the feedback...but the rectified settings on the pod can do some amazing things....
thank you as always for your comments, and palship
z [ Reply to This ]
Oh.... &mdash 10/08/07 - 10:41:39 PM
I wish i could think of something smart to say- but nothing i can think of could due justice to just how magnificient this is...
I almost didn't even post. It's like I feel unworthy. [ Reply to This ]
i am glad you did &mdash 10/09/07 - 08:08:48 PM
Bagdad &mdash 10/11/07 - 03:45:35 AM
Searing soundscapes... &mdash 10/16/07 - 01:13:00 PM
and a soulful guitar really works beautifully to evoke a tragic and nightmarish landscape.
I have a piece called Flight over Baghdad which was inspired when hearing General Patreous describe such a flight he took months ago. It's very different from yours but I think we both felt a need to somehow express what we feel in the face of such horrors.
Great Piece Ziti,
Best,
Bowman [ Reply to This ]
Nice work, mr Z! &mdash 11/25/07 - 01:11:16 PM
Not much to say about this: excellent guitar work, and great soundscaping. A very effective piece.
[ Reply to This ]
Posted too soon &mdash 11/25/07 - 01:13:35 PM
I'm sorry, but those tablas that come in halfway are really a case of kitchen sink arranging. There is absolutely nothing missing in the ingredients of the track up to that point. Throwing in those random hits only detracts the listener's attention, and it doesn't contribute anything to the track.
[ Reply to This ]
you know, &mdash 11/25/07 - 04:31:54 PM
hey vic... &mdash 02/13/08 - 08:17:37 PM
after a long period of not hearing this tune, i listened again...and I love the tablas...brings the cultural war into view very nicely in a musical sense, and leads into the next major chord change...too me anyway.
but i appreciate the comment!! [ Reply to This ]
well-woven complexity &mdash 02/16/08 - 06:27:31 PM
Very effective and moving - the visuals with it would have to reflective and pensive -- place and person, weaving and complimenting, sometimes trailing - the sound would be guiding the image, I think -- [ Reply to This ]
This is a Masterpiece &mdash 02/18/08 - 10:50:37 PM
I'm just discovering you Ziti - being very new to MJ. Your guitar is astounding here. Really , my jaw is on the floor. This makes me feel so much - BRAVO!! [ Reply to This ]
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The effects and the beautiful guitar sound, along with the chord bed.
Excellent.
Paul.
[ Reply to This ]